ACTION ON AIDS

Early day motion 115, tabled 23 November 2004 by Neil Gerrard (Labour). Signed by 96 members.

That this House welcomes the Stop AIDS Campaign's new policy report Access to Care and Treatment Now: Meeting the AIDS Challenge; notes with extreme concern that the HIV/AIDS epidemic to date has claimed the lives of 20 million people and orphaned 15 million children; finds it unacceptable that millions of people will die of AIDS without access to basic care and treatment and that less than eight per cent. of people who need anti-retroviral (ARV) drugs in developing countries get them; recognises that in 2004 the Government has made two significant promises to take action for people living with and affected by HIV/AIDS, with ú1.5 billion allocated in the comprehensive spending review to HIV/AIDS and the subsequent launch of the Government strategy on HIV/AIDS; believes that 2005 and the presidencies of the G8 and the EU will give the Government major opportunities to encourage greater political leadership on HIV/AIDS; and therefore calls on the Government to respond to the Stop AIDS Campaign's report by acting to strengthen health systems, ensuring that the international community provides the necessary and appropriate funding, promoting the lowered price of ARV drugs and other essential medicines, including through the reform of trade rules, and ensuring that at a minimum the G8 in 2005 commits to a binding timetable for universal access to care and treatment.

Signatures by party: Labour 59, Liberal Democrat 20, Labour/Co-operative 8, UUP 3, DUP 2, Plaid Cymru 2, Conservative 1, Scottish National Party 1.